Lockdown Spending Diary Week 10
We have hit double figures for the number of weeks in lockdown, lockdown spending diary week 10 is here. We are starting to see some easing back towards our old life. But I do not think our lives will ever be the same again. The social distancing rule is going to be around for a long long time (apart from in supermarkets where no-one seems to care).
More and more people are wearing masks, including me. And I can feel my anxiety rise when someone walks within 2 metres of me. I am bold and brave; I tell them to back off. Or say to my boys loudly, ‘look how important it is to have a 2-metre rule, how wide is 2 metres Jack?’
Week 10 was the last week of May and I spent a lot , more than £1500 (yep huge amount of money). Many one-off costs in there that I shall talk about during this post.
Monday 25th May – No spend day
I started well with a no spend day. I am still digesting the incredible information discovered from the emotionally wealthy people course from Fri & Sat. Each day for 9 days I am to focus and journal each of the 9 needs, day 1 and day 2 were security and control. Big needs for me, going back to security being ripped from under my feet as a 16-year-old.
The course has opened a few boxes that I had sellotaped shut for a few years, occasionally the Sellotape un-peels a bit and I face the trauma, normally triggering a big fight or flight reaction (quitting jobs, relocating, divorce). But this time the entire box has been flung open and everything is out. And I need to deal with it. I spoke to Freyja the course owner, teacher and psychotherapist and have booked in a few therapy sessions with her.
We all have stuff in our lives, it can affect us all in so many ways. But you know what, you must deal with it. You must learn coping strategies and tools and you must face those challenges. Life is short, it was only 58 years for my mum, I want to spend most of my life balanced and happy, not in turmoil.
Reading Skint Estate
I spent a lot of Monday reading Skint Estate, the most incredible book from my friend Cash Carraway. It is a must read! It will shock, you, educate you, make you laugh, make you cry, and I feature at one point as one the supportive bloggers who helped to share her refuge nightmare to get it shared widely into the public arena. Love you Cash for writing this book.
Tuesday 26th May – £136 spent
The spending starts to build up from today. I have been completing a #500km challenge throughout May and promised to donate 10% of my earnings to the fund raising for Grief Encounter. £100 was donated on this day as an invoice for £1000 was paid.
Two of my boys have got ear infections so some time today was spent speaking to doctor and collecting prescriptions. The children’s antibiotics are free of charge, but I did get some bits from the chemist whilst there. Mentos, shower gel, Himalayan bath salts and lip salve. £9.15 spent.
The illness and boredom set in today. Jack was fine as he has been socially distance playing with his friend and classmate who lives opposite us, but Dylan was bored. He is missing football so much and couple with feeling ill he had an emotional day. Oh, and some silly boy reported him to Microsoft (because DJ unfriended him after he was abused) and his account was suspended for a day.
I promised that the next day was a new day and things would be better.
Other money I spent, £12.60 at Simmons bakery for lunch and £8 on Tesco cake and cheese and Haribo. £6 was spent on my old and very cheap life insurance policy, this one only lasts until I am 47 so I am in the process of setting up a new one with Lifesearch.
Wednesday 27th May – £382. More one-off costs
I was up early and got all my work done by 9am. Boom. The day was all for the boys. In the 4 hours I did before 9am, I wrote, did emails, recorded video content and got some admin done! I applied for my Mrs Mummypenny Trademark, and spent £370 in the process. Getting a trademark is expensive. Huge thank you to Hollie from Thrifty Mum who helped with the categories to select for our types of business (its VERY comples, there are 1000s to choose from ), she already has a trademark.
We headed out early for a bike ride as it was a hot day. It was Jack, 7, DJ 12 and me. We cycled far! 10 miles in total and was out all morning. We stopped several times at the horses in Old Knebworth, the garden centre for energy sweets and orange bath oil for me, and the river in Welwyn for a paddle.
Thursday 28th May – £193 spent
I noticed a lump on my neck whilst having a bath on wed night. I disregarded it until Thursday after a terrible night’s sleep and was still feeling anxious about the trolling on Wednesday.
The doctors called me about a mistake I had made on a form and whilst on the phone I mentioned that I needed to speak to the doctor about a strange lump on my neck. The doctor called back after a couple of hours and called me into the surgery straight away. A strange lump on the neck must be looked at in person.
I masked up and visited the brand-new surgery for the first time. It has just relocated in Knebworth and is very sparkly new and clean and fresh. I was seen within 5 minutes by the very lovely doctor. He has a good look and feel of glands and confirmed it was not cancer (I thought the worst of course) it was shingles!
I was in total shock, adult chicken pox, why, how? I had a cold sore over the previous two weeks, was that linked? No, as they are different viruses, type 1 and type 2. But both are caused by being run down, stressed and a weakened nervous system.
I was diagnosed with anti-viral drugs to stop any long last shingles effects. If you catch this virus early the drugs will stop it taking effect, as it can destroy nerve endings. It can have serious impacts. But we got it in the first 24 hours, and I was taking the drugs by Thursday evening, thank you to the Knebworth chemist for calling me to say the prescription was in. I spent £23 on my prescription, anti-itching cream – Eurax and antihistamine.
Speaking to friends and the chemist it was important to dose up on vitamins, so I also started taking vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, turmeric, arnica, and magnesium. The cocktail of drugs and vitamins worked!! By Sunday I was shingles free. It had completely disappeared.
Spending wise I paid for the next 4 weeks of zoom restorative yoga and a reiki session with Body Bliss Yoga Sue Anderson, £62 spent. I also paid my VA for May £72. Two big costs. I love my weekly Yoga session, Thursday morning 10:15 to 11:30, a great time to do a yoga session. And my frozen shoulder day by day gets better and better.
I got another £10 sorry we messed up from Chip, who for the 4th time lost my withdrawal money. I DO NOT recommend this company anymore. They have lost my withdrawals 4 times in the past 10 weeks. 4 TIMES. And I bought rose and an ice-cream for £7.99.
Friday 29th May – £781 – BIG SPEND day
I have had a few meetings this week with Liz from Lingo designs about my re-brand and new website. EXCITING times. Today I made the first payment for the project, £690. I am so excited about this project and cannot wait to share with you new imagery, logo, and website. Of course, Mrs Mummypenny, the soon to be trademarked name remains. Mrs Mummypenny is turning from a teenager into an adult!
I had been instructed to rest for the entire weekend, so I spend much time reading, sunbathing, listening to music, writing my journal. It was time to spend some money on my, buying 3 audible credits and bought Ego is the Enemy, The Great Gatsby, and The Secret Footballer.
I looked through my old photos and found this gem, it was 1992, I was 15 and I thought I was fat. So so wrong.
I got in some nice food from the butchers and the co-op, spending £44. And I got £10 from the cash machine to repay pocket money to Jack that I owed him. I also bought a ‘Choose Yoga’ pink T-shirt from a friend’s small business for £19.
Saturday 30th May – £223 spent
More invoices were paid on 29th May, so I made a 10% £167 contribution to my fund raising for my 500 km challenge. The challenge that I have now had to postpone until my health returns. I had got to 400km, with 4 days of the month remaining. I will complete the last 100km soon.
Big hurrah to raising money for a charity that I love; I have raised £452.20 so far!! I am so grateful to everyone who has donated and to my clients who have paid me and thus donated 10% of said invoices. If you would like to donate the page is still live and open to donations. Thank you if you donate. I promise to do the remaining 100km soon.
I also paid for some eye liner and lashes from another small business friend, £25. And I paid my £31 to my bookkeeping business software.
Sunday 31st May – £42 spent
The best day ever! I woke up early and decided to pack my rucksack and drive to the beach. Arriving at 9:30 was a great idea, no traffic and very few people! Camp was set up in a spot no where near other humans, at least 10 metres socially distanced. I read, listed to music, collected shells, swam, had a picnic, people watched. It was the best day ever.
I put petrol in my car for the first time in 10 weeks, £28!! The last time I filled my car with the petrol the same fill was £38!! I also bought an ice cream for £4.50 and paid for parking, £9.
Summary
So yes, a very expensive week with a total of £1,757 spent. Business expenses made up a huge chunk of that £1173, this is taken from my business reserves. Charity donations made up another £267. The rest is made up of £121 of personal fun money, yes, I spent some money on myself this week, self-care is very important. £32 on household costs, medicines. £60 on groceries, £45 on bills and a few other smaller costs pocket money, petrol and eating out.
How was your spending week, did you save some money, or have you been feeling like returning to previous spending habits?
Thank you for reading. Most of the links in here are links that earn me no money, just adding for the love of the person or brand. The exception is Lifesearch where we both get a referral fee if you set up a life insurance policy. You will get either £25 or £50.
